SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PARTICIPATING IN TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN COMPUTING DEVICES

1 . An apparatus for participating in transactions between computing devices, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the one or more processors and having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to:

receive, from at least one of one or more computing devices external to the apparatus, a registration identifier and a registration message including an identification certificate;

verify the identity of at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus by verifying the identification certificate;

transmit, to at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus, an authentication message to test the authenticity of at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus;

validate the authenticity of at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus based at least in part on information received from at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus in response to the transmission of the authentication message; and

participate in a transaction with at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus, the transaction comprising:

generating a request for content, the request corresponding to a utilization of the content;

determining whether the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content; and

granting access to the content in accordance with the one or more usage rights based at least in part on a determination that the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the validation of the authenticity of at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus is associated with one or more session keys, wherein at least one of the one or more session keys is used based at least in part on a determination that the registration message was received, that the identity of at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus was verified based at least in part on a verification of the identification certificate, and that the authenticity of at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus was validated based at least in part on the information received in response to the transmission of the authentication message, and wherein the at least one of the one or more session keys is used during the transaction.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein participating in a transaction with at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus further comprises determining whether one or more conditions associated with the one or more usage rights are satisfied, and wherein granting access to the content in accordance with the one or more usage rights is further based at least in part on a determination that the one or more conditions associated with the one or more usage rights are satisfied.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more memories has further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, cause at least one of the one or more processors to enable receipt of at least one of the content and at least one of the one or more usage rights from at least one of the one or more computing devices external to the apparatus.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are stored separate from the content.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is implemented as a single computing device.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the utilization is at least one of rendering, distributing, viewing, playing, printing, modifying, and copying.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the content is at least one of an electronic book, music, audio information, a multimedia presentation, a movie, a computer program, and video information.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors is associated with at least one of a printer, a video system, and an audio system that utilizes the content.

10 . A computer-implemented method executed by one or more computing devices for participating in transactions between at least one of the one or more computing devices and one or more external computing devices, the method comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, from at least one of one or more external computing devices, a registration identifier and a registration message including an identification certificate;

verifying, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the identity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices by verifying the identification certificate;

transmitting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, to at least one of the one or more external computing devices, an authentication message to test the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices;

validating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices based at least in part on information received from at least one of the one or more external computing devices in response to the transmission of the authentication message; and

participating in, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a transaction with at least one of the one or more external computing devices, the transaction comprising:

generating a request for content, the request corresponding to a utilization of the content;

determining whether the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content; and

granting access to the content in accordance with the one or more usage rights based at least in part on a determination that the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the validation of the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices is associated with one or more session keys, wherein at least one of the one or more session keys is used based at least in part on a determination that the registration message was received, that the identity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices was verified based at least in part on a verification of the identification certificate, and that the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices was validated based at least in part on the information received in response to the transmission of the authentication message, and wherein the at least one of the one or more session keys is used during the transaction.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein participating in a transaction with at least one of the one or more external computing devices further comprises determining whether one or more conditions associated with the one or more usage rights are satisfied, and wherein granting access to the content in accordance with the one or more usage rights is further based at least in part on a determination that the one or more conditions associated with the one or more usage rights are satisfied.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving at least one of the content and at least one of the one or more usage rights from at least one of the one or more external computing devices.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the method is executed by a single computing device.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the utilization is at least one of rendering, distributing, viewing, playing, printing, modifying, and copying.

16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the content is at least one of an electronic book, music, audio information, a multimedia presentation, a movie, a computer program, and video information.

17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the one or more computing devices is associated with at least one of a printer, a video system, and an audio system that utilizes the content.

18 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one of one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to:

receive, from at least one of one or more external computing devices, a registration identifier and a registration message including an identification certificate;

verify the identity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices by verifying the identification certificate;

transmit, to at least one of the one or more external computing devices, an authentication message to test the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices;

validate the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices based at least in part on information received from at least one of the one or more external computing devices in response to the transmission of the authentication message; and

participate in a transaction with at least one of the one or more external computing devices, the transaction comprising:

generating a request for content, the request corresponding to a utilization of the content;

determining whether the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content; and

granting access to the content in accordance with the one or more usage rights based at least in part on a determination that the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content.

19 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the validation of the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices is associated with one or more session keys, wherein at least one of the one or more session keys is used based at least in part on a determination that the registration message was received, that the identity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices was verified based at least in part on a verification of the identification certificate, and that the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices was validated based at least in part on the information received in response to the transmission of the authentication message, and wherein the at least one of the one or more session keys is used during the transaction.

20 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein participating in a transaction with at least one of the one or more external computing devices further comprises determining whether one or more conditions associated with the one or more usage rights are satisfied, and wherein granting access to the content in accordance with the one or more usage rights is further based at least in part on a determination that the one or more conditions associated with the one or more usage rights are satisfied.

21 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to receive at least one of the content and at least one of the one or more usage rights from at least one of the one or more external computing devices.

22 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions are executed by a single computing device.

23 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the utilization is at least one of rendering, distributing, viewing, playing, printing, modifying, and copying.

24 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the content is at least one of an electronic book, music, audio information, a multimedia presentation, a movie, a computer program, and video information.

25 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the one or more computing devices is associated with at least one of a printer, a video system, and an audio system that utilizes the content.

26 . At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one of one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to:

receive, from at least one of one or more external computing devices, a registration identifier and a registration message including an identification certificate;

verify the identity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices by verifying the identification certificate;

transmit, to at least one of the one or more external computing devices, an authentication message to test the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices;

validate the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices based at least in part on information received from at least one of the one or more external computing devices in response to the transmission of the authentication message, wherein the validation of the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices is associated with one or more session keys, wherein at least one of the one or more session keys is used based at least in part on a determination that the registration message was received, that the identity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices was verified based at least in part on a verification of the identification certificate, and that the authenticity of at least one of the one or more external computing devices was validated based at least in part on the information received in response to the transmission of the authentication message; and

participate in a transaction with at least one of the one or more external computing devices using the at least one of the one or more session keys, the transaction comprising:

generating a request for content, the request corresponding to a utilization of the content;

determining whether the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content;

determining whether one or more conditions associated with the one or more usage rights are satisfied; and

granting access to the content in accordance with the one or more usage rights based at least in part on a determination that the utilization corresponds to one or more usage rights associated with the content and a determination that the one or more conditions are satisfied.

27 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , further comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more computing devices, cause at least one of the one or more computing devices to receive at least one of the content and at least one of the one or more usage right from at least one of the one or more external computing devices.

28 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein the instructions are executed by a single computing device.

29 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein the utilization is at least one of rendering, distributing, viewing, playing, printing, modifying, and copying.

30 . The at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26 , wherein the content is at least one of an electronic book, music, audio information, a multimedia presentation, a movie, a computer program, and video information.